Steelers avenge loss to Browns, grow division lead

Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes to help the Pittsburgh Steelers cruise to a 27-14 victory over the visiting Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Najee Harris rushed for a touchdown and Van Jefferson and Pat Freiermuth caught scoring passes for Pittsburgh (10-3), which has won seven of its last eight games. Cameron Heyward had two sacks and Keeanu Benton and James Pierre had interceptions for the Steelers, who increased their lead in the AFC North to two games over the idle Baltimore Ravens.

Wilson completed 15 of 26 passes for 158 yards to help Pittsburgh avenge a 24-19 loss to the Browns in a snowy affair in Cleveland on Nov. 21.

Jameis Winston completed 24 of 41 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Browns, who dropped their 21st consecutive regular-season road game in Pittsburgh. Cleveland did notch a victory in Pittsburgh in an AFC wild-card playoff game following the 2020 season.

Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku caught touchdown passes for Cleveland (3-10), which has lost two straight games and nine of its last 11. Myles Garrett recovered a fumble and registered a sack to raise his career total to 99.5.

Dustin Hopkins missed field goals of 38 and 43 yards for the Browns. Winston has thrown five interceptions in the past two games.

Pittsburgh played without receiver George Pickens (hamstring).

The Steelers moved ahead for good when Harris scored from the 1 to give Pittsburgh a 10-7 lead with 11 minutes left in the first half. Chris Boswell kicked a 54-yard field goal to make it a six-point margin with 4:21 left in the half.

Wilson tossed his two scoring passes in the third quarter to break the game open. He threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jefferson with 8:37 left and then hit Freiermuth on a 20-yarder to make it 27-7 with 3:51 remaining in the period.

Winston hit Njoku on a 15-yard touchdown pass with 7:19 left in the contest to bring the Browns within 13.

Garrett later recovered a fumble to give Cleveland possession at midfield but Winston was intercepted by Pierre two plays later.

Any chance of a Browns comeback was stomped out when Kadarius Toney fumbled a punt and Pittsburgh's Ben Skowronek recovered at the Cleveland 20-yard line with 2:53 left.

After Boswell kicked a 30-yard field goal to open the scoring, Cleveland went ahead 7-3 on Winston's 35-yard touchdown pass to Jeudy with 5:50 left in the first quarter.

--Field Level Media